Picture This!

Like usual, the plan was to run in Hobby Lobby after one thing that I needed. And like usual, I browsed the store for over an hour. I didn't need anything off of the "wood isle" but somehow ended up there and decided to pick up an unfinished picture frame. I really didn't have a plan for it but I like to have some little projects that I can complete in under 30 minutes. 
I am loving horizontal stripes right now and I really want to stripe the walls somewhere in the house. For now, I decided to settle for the picture frame. I like the bold stripes, like black/navy and white, but my favorite are shades of neutrals. I chose to alternate between white and ivory and use a thick stripe design.  I threw together a burlap bow and made a matching burlap hanger and the project was finished. I think this frame would be perfect in a nursery but maybe the babies on the frame insert gave me that idea. 

Happy Thursday!

Rainy days, that keep a very energetic yorkie stuck inside, seem to keep me from finishing projects. I'm hoping for sunshine tomorrow so that I can take Presleigh to the park for a run. After trips to the park, she comes home, eats her lunch, and is out for hours. Yes, she is just like a human child.

On the rare occasion that she is not right in the middle of what I am doing, I can usually find Presleigh in her car seat giving me this "I'm soooo bored" look. Part of the problem probably comes from the fact that she has a leopard car seat in the first place and that it also serves as her booster seat at the table. She can be a handful at times but I love the little fur ball with all my heart.

Spring Floral Arrangement

Although the weather these past few days has had me digging my Ugg boots out of the closet, I am dreaming of all things related to Spring. Before this cold front moved in, we had been enjoying beautiful weeks of sunshine and warm weather. I thought we were finished with Winter, but I guess not quite yet. I love so many things about the Spring time. The luscious green grass and blooming flowers are a couple of things that I associate with this season. Oh, and my birthday of course. I am a true girl and I appreciate most all flowers. When it comes to fresh cut flowers, I am partial to a clean arrangement of whites mixed with greenery.

These are a couple of arrangements that I put together for a bridal shower. All of the flowers came from Whole Foods. They always have an amazing floral selection and I can grab my favorite food items while I'm there as well. 

The largest arrangement was used for the centerpiece so I wanted to use a long-stemmed flower to create height. I chose white gladiolas as the main flower. Then I added some greenery that reminded me of monkey grass in order to create a bit of playful detail. I'm not even sure where I first got the idea to use food in an arrangement, but I immediately knew that brussel sprouts would be perfect. I placed the brussel sprouts in the vase, surrounding the flowers. The veggie decor helped to hold the stems up right and when I added water the brussel sprouts almost doubled in size. I still felt like something was missing.  I had the vegetable but now I needed the fruit. That association probably comes from my nutrition background but the idea was useful. I added a row of limes across the top and decided the look was complete.

For the smaller arrangement, I chose white hydrangeas. I can't imagine a southern girl who isn't crazy about hydrangeas. Beyond the basics, I am horrible at naming plants and flowers so I won't even try to figure out what this greenery is called. I chose it because it sprouted in funky directions and reminded me of ruffles. I think it just so happened to be the perfect complement. I never checked into buying  pre-made arrangements but I'm sure it would have been expensive for something comparable. I also liked that by making them myself, I could add the modern food detail that is not typically seen by a florist.
For a fall approach, I used a similar creation to the gladiola arrangement and added rustic sticks and cherry blossoms. I love the concept of using fruits and vegetables in floral decoration and I have many other ideas that I will try soon.

Wedding Festivities

I have been a terrible blogger these past few days, but with good cause. It was one of my closest friend's wedding in Destin, FL. Last week I spent most of my time working on decorations for all of the festivities. I had so much fun making the boutonnieres, chair decorations, weddings signs, and food labels. Jennifer, the bride, is so fun and creative and we share much of the same style. That made it very easy to figure out the look she wanted. 
She chose to use a southern beach theme, with the incorporation of starfish, cotton, burlap, and jewel tones. They served traditional southern fare including a grits bar, pork tenderloin, an assortment of cheeses, black-eyed pea salad, and sweet tea. The signature drink was Jack Daniels Lynchburg lemonade, poured into mason jars with monogrammed stirs. Jennifer chose four different colors for her bridesmaids dresses; lime green, yellow, coral, and turquoise. The groomsmen wore linen suits with coordinating Vineyard Vines bow ties. Everybody was barefoot, as the wedding was supposed to take place on the beach. With the high winds and tornado watches all over the area, the ceremony was moved to the reception house, which ended up being perfect. The house was completely packed and full of love and support for Jenn and Brad. I was so blessed to be a part of such a special day and Jennifer was absolutely gorgeous. 

I took a few snapshots of some of the stuff that I made. I never even got my camera out of my purse at the wedding so I will steal some pictures from Facebook once people upload them. A few of these pictures were actually taken by the bride on her iphone. She is an amazing photographer so yes, she can make pictures look incredible using a camera phone. 

These are the boutonnieres that I made. Instead of the traditional flower, the cotton was the main focus. I added a piece of burlap and filled in space with reindeer moss. Next I collected sticks from my back yard and attached them in order to add a rustic flare. I wrapped all of the stems together with jute and then added a tiny starfish to the moss. 

This is the sign that I made for the entrance to the neighborhood for the wedding. Jennifer's step mom and I picked through random scraps of wood and metal in their workshop and with a little paint and glue, I designed the sign. I also covered 8x10 canvas with burlap to create the wedding date at the bottom.

These were some of the food labels I created with cork board and chalkboard spray paint. The "Vino" sign was also made from a piece of scrap wood. I just added the row of wine corks for some added detail.

This is the handkerchief that I made for Jennifer to give her dad right before the ceremony.  Yes, that is Presleigh's head in the corner. She helped. I also made two others for her step dad and father-in-law. I used the same technique from the dish towels that I made for another friend. I added the cotton image and the jute stitching to add personality and to match the wedding theme.

These were made to hang on the side of the chairs. I just simply glued a patch of moss and then the star fish. 

They also decorated with some of the stuff that I had made Jennifer for her bridal shower including the moss initial wreath. I can't wait to post pictures of all this stuff at the actual wedding. Look for a continued post soon.

Mirror Make-Over

In a recent post about my cubby unit, I mentioned that I was in the process of re-doing my bathroom. It is not an immediate project. I am just changing things here and there as I come across ideas or good deals. The walls are chocolate brown and the vanity, trim, and floor are all white. I am thinking I am going to stick with the white theme and add a white shower curtain. Before I began the make-over process, the bathroom design was a total mess. The walls were brown. The shower curtain was black and white. The rug was light green. A mess. 
The mirror hanging above the vanity was black and gold. I liked the carved detailing but the colors did not work at all. I took advantage of the beautiful weather this past weekend and gave it a transformation. First, I taped up the mirror with newspaper to keep paint from getting on the glass. Next I sanded the frame and then gave it a coat of white spray paint. I was surprised that one coat pretty much covered it. After the mirror dried, I made a gray glaze from gray acrylic paint and water. I rubbed it on with a cloth, working the paint into the grooves.

Before

Before (corner)

It turned out to be exactly what I had wanted for my bathroom. The mirror had the shabby chic look I was going for and the gray glaze was the perfect color to accentuate the carved detailing around the edges. It looked perfect against the dark bathroom walls. I will be taking pictures of the mirror hanging, once the rest of the bathroom is complete.

After

After (corner)

Make a Wish...

This post is in honor of my amazing mother's birthday. She is the absolute BEST. Period. This is the birthday card that I made her. Ever since I can remember, I have made her homemade cards for her birthday. She used to tell me that she wouldn't accept store bought cards from me. I'm not sure how long that rule was supposed to be in effect but I'm keeping up the tradition. 

The card that I made is actually not a card at all. It is not paper and it does not open, but it serves the same purpose. I made it on an 8x10 piece of canvas and glued scraps of material together to form a layered cake. I used scrap trim and beads I had leftover from other projects and finished it with four real candles on top. No, she is not turning four but I won't reveal the real number (You're welcome Mom). I wrote the message on a piece of card stock, cut it to fit the back of the canvas, and attached it with hot glue.

She also got a wonderful present. She got an ipad! She was so excited because she has wanted one for a while but had no idea she was getting it. Now, I just have to help her figure out how to use it. Every time I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said the same thing. A gallon of paint to paint the kitchen. I really hope I never ask for a gallon of paint for my birthday. But, since that's what she said she wanted, she also got a gift card to Home Depot. 
So, financially, my dad actually bought those gifts. But I did make her favorite cake. It is a copy-cat version of Cracker Barrel's chocolate coca-cola cake. My parents both always ask for this same cake on their birthdays. As appreciative as she was for her presents, she deserves so much more for all that she does for me. I told her she just has to wait until I'm rich and famous. Yea right!

First Grain Sack Pillow

I am planning to make a whole set of pillows to go on the couch. I am envisioning a neutral assortment of burlap, linen, and cotton; with a combination of French vintage designs and soft country detail. My inspiration comes from all over, mostly from other bloggers and, of course, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn. 
If you have read many of my other posts, you should be well aware of my love obsession for grain sacks and all things made from them. Well, I decided it was time to make my own. I found an old pillow insert and begged my mom to sew a pillow case for it. I chose the same "linen-ish" material that I used to make my "Mrs." and "Mr." pillows. I chose to add brown stripes to the center and to both outer edges. I marked off the areas that I wanted to stripe with tape, and got out my paint brush. Typically, when I have a paint brush in hand, this is not the sort of project that I am working on. Besides my furniture and crafts, I also paint acrylics and oils. I haven't done anything new in a while because I have been in more of a mood to re-decorate with DIY creations but if you enjoy artwork, I would love for you to check out my stuff. You can find most of it at Dainty Paint. I plan to add some of my art to this blog as well. 

So, back to the pillow. This was an extremely easy project (especially considering the fact that I didn't do any of the sewing) but I was definitely pleased with the outcome. After the paint dried, I sanded over the stripes with a sanding block to fade the color. I'm still hoping for the real thing one day, but this is a very close second.